Has anything in your life ever gone wrong? Like, really wrong? Who did you vent and go to? Probably someone you knew would support you, or at the very least, lend an ear to you. You’ve probably heard about how horrible Job’s friends were. But how bad were they?

“Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him. And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven. So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great.”

– Job 2:11-13

Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar all had great intentions. They knew their friend was suffering, and they decided to come together to mourn with him and to try and comfort. They cried with him, they mourned with him, and sat with him for a whole week in silence, not saying a word. They just wanted to be there to help Job through his difficult time. And sometimes, the best thing you can do is just be there, listen to them, or even sit there with them just so that they know they have someone there. 

But it’s when the three of them finally decided to talk that their compassion went downhill. They may have meant well, but each of their speeches (Job 3-31) eluded to Job having done something wrong, and that whatever he did, he needed to repent so that God would stop punishing him. When Job argued back that he didn’t sin enough to warrant this, his friends only became harsher. 

While his friends may have had good intentions, they assumed too many things about why Job was suffering and how God treats people. They may have thought they knew why everything bad was happening to Job, and consequently, weren’t listening to him or considering any other reason. When you comfort a friend through a difficult time, be sensitive, and don’t pretend to know it all (even if you are right). 

“And it was so, that after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath. Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job. So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did according as the Lord commanded them: the Lord also accepted Job. And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.”

– Job 42:7-10

God’s rebuke of Job’s three friends clearly laid out that they were wrong in their accusations – judging Job for things that they’d assumed he did when they didn’t know what God’s plan was behind the scenes. And Job, after his friends had spent much time chastising him for things he had not done, still prayed for his friends and asked for their forgiveness. 

Job’s friends did get some things wrong – they assumed, judged, blamed, and overall did not understand that God always has a plan. But they also got a bit right. God never chastised them for coming to Job during a hard time, for sitting with him, for mourning with him…they got chastised for offering bad advice and speaking wrongly of God. 

When your friend is hurting, what do you do? We can learn from Job’s friends – what we should do, and what we shouldn’t do for our friends in their time of trouble. 

If you are not 100% sure that you’ll go to Heaven when you die, now is the time to repent and put your trust in Jesus Christ. If you have any questions or doubts about your salvation, click here to learn how you can be saved!

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